Otane Arts and Crafts sale coming
Hundreds are expected to attend O¯ tane Arts and Crafts Corner’s annual three-day exhibition and sale this coming Queen’s Birthday weekend.
Most of the 130 members from the art society’s six groups have contributed works for this year’s Art Deco-themed exhibition, which will be held at the group’s headquarters inside the old O¯ tane School on the corner of Higginson and White Rds.
An official opening will be held on Thursday before it opens to the public from 10am-4pm each day from Friday to Sunday.
President Robyn Burn said the exhibition and sale of patchwork items, embroidery, woollen articles, art, mosaics, paper craft items, as well as plants and homegrown produce attracted people from all over.
“Over the three days I would say that we’d get between 150 to 200 people through the exhibition. We get passing traffic calling in and from further afield, we often have groups of patch workers from Palmerston North, Marton and Taupo¯ attend,” she said.
Around 70 guests had been invited to attend the exhibition opening on Thursday afternoon, and would get an early preview of the items for sale, she said.
“Like Antique Fairs, these people like to have the first look at what’s on sale, before we are open to the public on Friday morning.”
Robyn said Diane Ryder was this year’s guest exhibitor with her needle-felted animals in the wool room, with the exhibition spread throughout the four rooms of the building, she said.
“It can be pretty full, with items from the six groups. The last few years we have served Devonshire Teas in the hallway, and this has proved very popular.”
Proceeds from the exhibition go to the upkeep of the art group’s headquarters, the old O¯ tane School, which opened in 1900. When it was about to be demolished, a society was formed and the building was vested to the CHB District Council, which leased it to the society.
An arts centre was officially opened on September 1, 1970 and later in 2001, the building was bought by O¯ tane Arts and Crafts Corner from the council for a nominal price of $1.
“Over the latter years we have raised funds and applied to for grants for maintenance on the building, inside and out, to keep the building in good repair,” Robyn said.
For further information call 06 856 8506 or search for them on Facebook.